This week I lost two great individuals who played a part in my life who I greatly admired. One an American, and one a Canadian. One a great teacher, and one a great business man. One a complete stranger, and one a good friend. Both created by God with a predetermined number of days on this earth.
Randy Pausch, an American Carnegie Mellon University computer scientist whose "last lecture" about facing terminal cancer became an Internet sensation and a best-selling book, died Friday. He was 47. Pausch was diagnosed with incurable pancreatic cancer in September 2006. His popular last lecture at Carnegie Mellon in September 2007 garnered international attention. In the lecture, Pausch celebrated living the life he had always dreamed of instead of concentrating on impending death.
George Voisin, a Canadian attorney and real estate genius that when not spending time serving his clients played golf and spent quality time with his spouse Elaine, and their four children. If you could look in the dictionary under healthy, you would see his picture. He passed away most unexpectedly while enjoying a round of golf with friends Tuesday afternoon.
These two gentlemen did not live their lives “When”, but “How”. None of us know how long we are here on this earth. But Jesus certainly gave us the blueprint on how to live while we are here.
Life is too short not to make the best and the most of everything that comes your way everyday of your life. Do what you love to do and give it your very best. Whether it's business or golf, or spending time with the people you love. If you don't love what you're doing and you can't give it your best, then get out of it.
Hug your kids. Help your neighbor. Kiss your wife. Share God’s word. Forgive that person. Don’t hold on to that vintage bottle of wine. Quit putting things off. Go fishing. Share a meal. Keep all promises. Don’t regret. And Carpe Diem! (Seize the Day!).
Saturday, July 26, 2008
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Home Team Leaders
A great letter to Home Team leaders (and prospective leaders!) written by Dave Cotham, Associate Pastor of Home Teams at BAF...
Leaders,
I wanted to give a huge “Thank You” to all of you for hanging in there in leading your Home Team or other small group, even during these summer doldrums. I understand that some of you receiving this email are no longer leading a group, but, I also understand that doesn’t preclude you from starting another one in the future!
For those of you who have been leading a group for a while, you already understand all the difficult and frustrating times that go along with it:
like calling dozens of referrals, leaving messages, and not getting anyone to answer,
like calling dozens of referrals and finally getting a few to say they will attend, only to not show up,
like having people attend once and then never hearing from them again.
But, for those of you who have been leading a group for a while, you will also remember the times when you felt the Holy Spirit flowing through the group and saw lives truly transformed through the love and trust that was shared there. If you haven’t experienced that yet,,, just hang in there, it will happen, if you continue to open your home and truly open your hearts. I know from experience that the lives that will be transformed the most are the ones of the people leading the group. Christ came to serve and we experience His Love most when we emulate Him by serving.
Since Bay Area Fellowship is a church that reaches out to pagans, heathens, and scoundrels, (I know I fell into all of those categories at one time or another), we can expect some of the same qualities that surround those character types to be reflected in those considering joining a Home Team or other ministry. That means we should expect them to not answer, not show up, and then not come back again. But the great thing about it is when one of these lost soul’s heart gets touched by the love of Christ, demonstrated by you and your group, an incredible transformation can take place. (Again, I speak about this from experience).
I want to ask each of you to please just take a moment and thank God that He has poured out His Mercy, His Grace, and His Love upon your life and has found you worthy to open your home and offer to feed His flock. No one ever said it was going to be easy, most of the things that are truly worthwhile in this life are not easy. But I can assure you that if you hang in there and persevere, it will be rewarding, to you, and to those who God brings your way.
Home Teams are about relationships, and I would bet that you aren’t batting 100% on the other relationships in your life either. It takes some chemistry, some effort, and some of God’s blessings to have a relationship that is something special. Odds are you made some calls, had some no shows, and had a few that didn’t work out in your other relationships also. But I hope you didn’t give up. Because those special, God ordained relationships are out there. We just have to be determined enough to find them. Also, consider this, the enemy would like nothing more than to cause as much frustration and discouragement as possible to deter you from finding those relationships that would draw you and others closer to God. So don’t give him even one small victory, hang in there, keep trying, keep calling, and keep praying.
We will be trying to do our part here to help. We don’t try to do a lot of new things during the summer, simply because it’s SUMMER. Our efforts would not show much fruit during a time when people’s schedules are even more hectic than usual. But we are gearing up to start promoting Home Teams and other ministries again for the fall and to encourage new leaders and enlist new referrals. We will be letting everyone know what we have coming up and I will be asking a few of you out there to help me with some things, so once more, “Thank You” and I look forward to working with you to continue to grow this awesome ministry.
Please let me know if I can help you in any way.
Blessings, Dave
Leaders,
I wanted to give a huge “Thank You” to all of you for hanging in there in leading your Home Team or other small group, even during these summer doldrums. I understand that some of you receiving this email are no longer leading a group, but, I also understand that doesn’t preclude you from starting another one in the future!
For those of you who have been leading a group for a while, you already understand all the difficult and frustrating times that go along with it:
like calling dozens of referrals, leaving messages, and not getting anyone to answer,
like calling dozens of referrals and finally getting a few to say they will attend, only to not show up,
like having people attend once and then never hearing from them again.
But, for those of you who have been leading a group for a while, you will also remember the times when you felt the Holy Spirit flowing through the group and saw lives truly transformed through the love and trust that was shared there. If you haven’t experienced that yet,,, just hang in there, it will happen, if you continue to open your home and truly open your hearts. I know from experience that the lives that will be transformed the most are the ones of the people leading the group. Christ came to serve and we experience His Love most when we emulate Him by serving.
Since Bay Area Fellowship is a church that reaches out to pagans, heathens, and scoundrels, (I know I fell into all of those categories at one time or another), we can expect some of the same qualities that surround those character types to be reflected in those considering joining a Home Team or other ministry. That means we should expect them to not answer, not show up, and then not come back again. But the great thing about it is when one of these lost soul’s heart gets touched by the love of Christ, demonstrated by you and your group, an incredible transformation can take place. (Again, I speak about this from experience).
I want to ask each of you to please just take a moment and thank God that He has poured out His Mercy, His Grace, and His Love upon your life and has found you worthy to open your home and offer to feed His flock. No one ever said it was going to be easy, most of the things that are truly worthwhile in this life are not easy. But I can assure you that if you hang in there and persevere, it will be rewarding, to you, and to those who God brings your way.
Home Teams are about relationships, and I would bet that you aren’t batting 100% on the other relationships in your life either. It takes some chemistry, some effort, and some of God’s blessings to have a relationship that is something special. Odds are you made some calls, had some no shows, and had a few that didn’t work out in your other relationships also. But I hope you didn’t give up. Because those special, God ordained relationships are out there. We just have to be determined enough to find them. Also, consider this, the enemy would like nothing more than to cause as much frustration and discouragement as possible to deter you from finding those relationships that would draw you and others closer to God. So don’t give him even one small victory, hang in there, keep trying, keep calling, and keep praying.
We will be trying to do our part here to help. We don’t try to do a lot of new things during the summer, simply because it’s SUMMER. Our efforts would not show much fruit during a time when people’s schedules are even more hectic than usual. But we are gearing up to start promoting Home Teams and other ministries again for the fall and to encourage new leaders and enlist new referrals. We will be letting everyone know what we have coming up and I will be asking a few of you out there to help me with some things, so once more, “Thank You” and I look forward to working with you to continue to grow this awesome ministry.
Please let me know if I can help you in any way.
Blessings, Dave
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Give Your Kids the Freedom to be Kids
It's summer. Time to sign the kids up for a bunch of activities so that they won't get bored, right?
Maybe. To an extent, perhaps.
Or maybe it's better to give them some time to be kids. For having fun on their own terms. And yes, to be bored.
I'm not entirely against signing kids up for activities. I'm for limiting them. That's because I don't think children need to grow up having someone else always directing them in what they should be doing.
I certainly don't blame kids for getting bored when they're told to get out and play. Too many have too few chances to do just that. Most parents today are far more protective than our own parents were of us. And sometime it is the other way around.
One of my favorite things to do is to tell my girls to just go outside and play. They are normally very receptive to the idea. Then, all I have to do is sit back and keep an ear open for the occasional screams. Meanwhile they're playing kickball, exploring in the garden, digging, getting filthy and having fun.
Encourage your kids to settle their own arguments. And tell them to decide for themselves what is fun. Play with them some of the time, of course, but encourage your kids to take the lead and to not always need you to play in order to have fun. It makes them independent.
Just think about the things you remember most about growing up. Was it the classes you took, the activities you signed up for? Or was it the stuff you did on your own?
Chances are, it's a combination, but doing things all on your own is probably a big part of your favorite childhood memories. No pressure, just time to be you.
Stop listening to all the people talking about all the activities their kids do. Plan any activities based on what will work for your family Let your child learn what it is to win, to lose, to be creative, to get hurt at least a little, to be independent, and to just be a kid!
Maybe. To an extent, perhaps.
Or maybe it's better to give them some time to be kids. For having fun on their own terms. And yes, to be bored.
I'm not entirely against signing kids up for activities. I'm for limiting them. That's because I don't think children need to grow up having someone else always directing them in what they should be doing.
I certainly don't blame kids for getting bored when they're told to get out and play. Too many have too few chances to do just that. Most parents today are far more protective than our own parents were of us. And sometime it is the other way around.
One of my favorite things to do is to tell my girls to just go outside and play. They are normally very receptive to the idea. Then, all I have to do is sit back and keep an ear open for the occasional screams. Meanwhile they're playing kickball, exploring in the garden, digging, getting filthy and having fun.
Encourage your kids to settle their own arguments. And tell them to decide for themselves what is fun. Play with them some of the time, of course, but encourage your kids to take the lead and to not always need you to play in order to have fun. It makes them independent.
Just think about the things you remember most about growing up. Was it the classes you took, the activities you signed up for? Or was it the stuff you did on your own?
Chances are, it's a combination, but doing things all on your own is probably a big part of your favorite childhood memories. No pressure, just time to be you.
Stop listening to all the people talking about all the activities their kids do. Plan any activities based on what will work for your family Let your child learn what it is to win, to lose, to be creative, to get hurt at least a little, to be independent, and to just be a kid!
Monday, May 19, 2008
Are Your Prayers Successful?
Steve Kroening writes for Success Magazine and wrote the following regarding prayer:
Have you ever grown frustrated with your prayer life because it just doesn't seem like God is answering your prayers? Does it sometimes feel like God just doesn't hear anything you pray for? Maybe you even think He doesn't care about your prayers. I know I've been there. Many of us have.
But what you're about to read is what I believe is the number one reason our prayers fail. And what you can do to help bring success to your prayers.
Remember, your only priority is God. And that one priority determines how you treat everything else in life. When you love your spouse, it is because it's God's priority for you to love him or her. When you work hard, it is because it's God's priority for you to do so.
The same truth applies to prayer. When most of us pray, we have our priorities as the main topic of discussion. We ask for things that we want, that we hope for, that we need. However, few of us have learned to pray according to God's priorities.
If you notice the Lord's Prayer, the first request is for God's name to be proclaimed holy (hallowed be thy name). And then it requests His Kingdom to come and His will to be done.
The key here is that the Lord's Prayer is focused on God's priorities. First, that His name be proclaimed holy. Second, that His Kingdom come. And, third, that His will be done.
All of those are God's top priorities. And, so, they need to be our top priorities in prayer.
Of course, we are part of God's priorities. We aren't neglected in the Lord's Prayer. In fact, we are told to pray for our basic needs, forgiveness and the ability to forgive, and our righteousness. These are all God's priorities for us. And we should pray for these.
So any time you see a priority of God in Scripture, start praying that He would manifest that priority in your life. When you see that the greatest commandment is to love God, ask Him to enable you to love Him. You should also pray that He would enable you to love your neighbor. And, while you're at it, ask for help to love your enemies.
God's purposes will always succeed, and His priorities are based on His purposes. So when we pray according to His priorities, we are guaranteed success.
Have you ever grown frustrated with your prayer life because it just doesn't seem like God is answering your prayers? Does it sometimes feel like God just doesn't hear anything you pray for? Maybe you even think He doesn't care about your prayers. I know I've been there. Many of us have.
But what you're about to read is what I believe is the number one reason our prayers fail. And what you can do to help bring success to your prayers.
Remember, your only priority is God. And that one priority determines how you treat everything else in life. When you love your spouse, it is because it's God's priority for you to love him or her. When you work hard, it is because it's God's priority for you to do so.
The same truth applies to prayer. When most of us pray, we have our priorities as the main topic of discussion. We ask for things that we want, that we hope for, that we need. However, few of us have learned to pray according to God's priorities.
If you notice the Lord's Prayer, the first request is for God's name to be proclaimed holy (hallowed be thy name). And then it requests His Kingdom to come and His will to be done.
The key here is that the Lord's Prayer is focused on God's priorities. First, that His name be proclaimed holy. Second, that His Kingdom come. And, third, that His will be done.
All of those are God's top priorities. And, so, they need to be our top priorities in prayer.
Of course, we are part of God's priorities. We aren't neglected in the Lord's Prayer. In fact, we are told to pray for our basic needs, forgiveness and the ability to forgive, and our righteousness. These are all God's priorities for us. And we should pray for these.
So any time you see a priority of God in Scripture, start praying that He would manifest that priority in your life. When you see that the greatest commandment is to love God, ask Him to enable you to love Him. You should also pray that He would enable you to love your neighbor. And, while you're at it, ask for help to love your enemies.
God's purposes will always succeed, and His priorities are based on His purposes. So when we pray according to His priorities, we are guaranteed success.
Monday, April 14, 2008
Don't let life get bigger than your God
I am finishing up my "busy" time of year this week. I have to confess that over the past several weeks, I have not felt God's presence. Sitting listening to the preacher yesterday, I heard something very profound. We've all had moments where we knew that God was speaking to us through our pastor. Preaching "straight at us" if you will.
He said, "Don't let life (whether it be a task at hand, your job, your family, etc.) get bigger than your God. By concentrating primarily on my work, and not God, I felt somewhat separated from Him.
Thinking back over the past several weeks, I realize my criteria for being stressed didn’t rank very high on what we would call a crises list! It’s amazing how problems we face in the moment loom larger than they really are. Have you ever been faced with what you thought was a huge trouble, only to learn in due time, that it wasn’t such a big deal? I certainly have.
I am developing a motto to fall back upon during times I feel overwhelmed. I am going to say "God is bigger than this problem!" Then, I am going to be still and listen for a solution.
Christ Jesus has served as my model for human action in times of trial. When he didn’t know what to do, he’d listen for God’s guidance. He knew God’s wisdom was always bigger than any dilemma he faced.
One time, when pondering the direction his ministry should take, he spent forty days in the wilderness fasting and praying. The devil tempted him severely. Jesus resisted the temptations with his final proclamation of, "’Away from me, Satan!" For it is written: Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only. Rather than to give in to the devil’s pressure tactics, Jesus persisted in prayer until spiritual light broke through. He did not yield to discouragement.
If we ever come upon an unexpected hardship we too can resist despair and anger by remembering that we’re not alone. God is with us! God is bigger than the trouble we face. Listening for a little inspiration from above can calm alarm, dissolve despair, and keep our life moving in a progressive happy direction.
He said, "Don't let life (whether it be a task at hand, your job, your family, etc.) get bigger than your God. By concentrating primarily on my work, and not God, I felt somewhat separated from Him.
Thinking back over the past several weeks, I realize my criteria for being stressed didn’t rank very high on what we would call a crises list! It’s amazing how problems we face in the moment loom larger than they really are. Have you ever been faced with what you thought was a huge trouble, only to learn in due time, that it wasn’t such a big deal? I certainly have.
I am developing a motto to fall back upon during times I feel overwhelmed. I am going to say "God is bigger than this problem!" Then, I am going to be still and listen for a solution.
Christ Jesus has served as my model for human action in times of trial. When he didn’t know what to do, he’d listen for God’s guidance. He knew God’s wisdom was always bigger than any dilemma he faced.
One time, when pondering the direction his ministry should take, he spent forty days in the wilderness fasting and praying. The devil tempted him severely. Jesus resisted the temptations with his final proclamation of, "’Away from me, Satan!" For it is written: Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only. Rather than to give in to the devil’s pressure tactics, Jesus persisted in prayer until spiritual light broke through. He did not yield to discouragement.
If we ever come upon an unexpected hardship we too can resist despair and anger by remembering that we’re not alone. God is with us! God is bigger than the trouble we face. Listening for a little inspiration from above can calm alarm, dissolve despair, and keep our life moving in a progressive happy direction.
Monday, March 24, 2008
Friday, March 7, 2008
Uncle Sam, Friend or Foe?
I am trying to get out the word on the tax rebates many of you are expecting. People ask me if it free money. Friend, there is only one thing in this life that is free, but that free gift comes from God. Here is my best explanation. Take it for what you feel its worth.
While the rebate you may receive depends on your 2007 income, it is actually a rebate toward your 2008 taxes. According to the proposed plan, in 2008, taxes would be cut from 10 percent to zero percent on the first $6,000 dollars of taxable income for individual taxpayers. Of course the new zero percent tax bracket is larger for married couples.
It's like a one time tax cut for 2008, but you get the rebate now instead of waiting to file your 2008 taxes. Be aware that because this is an advance payment on your 2008 income taxes, your refund next year could be more (buy probably less!) depending on your 2008 income.
While the rebate you may receive depends on your 2007 income, it is actually a rebate toward your 2008 taxes. According to the proposed plan, in 2008, taxes would be cut from 10 percent to zero percent on the first $6,000 dollars of taxable income for individual taxpayers. Of course the new zero percent tax bracket is larger for married couples.
It's like a one time tax cut for 2008, but you get the rebate now instead of waiting to file your 2008 taxes. Be aware that because this is an advance payment on your 2008 income taxes, your refund next year could be more (buy probably less!) depending on your 2008 income.
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